, 1887-07-13
TRAILING TRAMPS.
Twenty Tourists Captured and
Consigned to the City Jail.
How They Lodge in Box Cars and
Vacant Houses Instead of Beds.
Joe Dapita, of Omaha, Following
the Footsteps of"BiIIy the Kid"

At 2 o'clock yesterday morning three
policemen, accompanied by a LEADER rep
resentative, declared war against the nu
merous tramps who have infested TIE city
lately and determined to arrest as many of
the American nobility as could be appre-
hended, and place them in the city Jail.
The raid was highly successful. Beside
encountering many dangerous and laugh
able incidents, the quartette succeeded in
capturing an even score OF the beggars,
sneak thieves and thugs who lodge in box
cars and steal and solicit aims, as the
occasion is favorable.
The first gang was met on Fifteenth
street in front of a saloon near the Union
Pacific freight house. Among the six
was a negro and two one.armed individu-
ais. They were marched to the city hall,
placed in line and their stories heard, for
every tramp has a plausible explanation
to offer as to the cause of his apparent
misfortune.
No. l related with a great deal of ecLat
that he was a cattleman from Omaha and
had been stopping at the Inter Ocean,
but had left that hostelry on account of a
little dispute with Mr.. Chase over a game
of Blue Pete" the landlord maintaining
that the gentleman had taken the last
trick" while the guest was certain that
the proprietor was entitled to the odd
check. He had consequently left the
house, and intended soon to depart for
Denver and stop at the Windsor, as he
was the victim of a habit which caused
him to leave a town unless he could fire.
quent the hotel suited to his tastes. He
will be fed by the city caterer for the en-
suing two weeks.
The darkey said he was a dishwasher at
the metropolitan hotel" but when
Alderman Griffin was interviewed he as
serted that the colored gentleman had
never been in his employ.
The one-armed candidates claimed to
be escaped New York base ball umpires.
This was probably true. as neither knew
anything about the game, and were DOM
i%neering and abusive to their fellow trav.
elers. ( They are probably in Laramie at
the present writing, as Alderman Keefe,
ofthe street and alley committee, declared
that he was unable to utilize them on the
Evans street grade.
This batch" being disposed of, the
tramp hunters proceeded to the stock
yards, and after searching in that locality
for fully an hour and discovering no one,
we're about to return to the city empty
handed when one of the party suggested
that a box car on a sidetrack above the
yards be inspected. This was accordingly
done, and the visit proved a fruitful one
indeed, for in a car half filled with hay
lay seven tramps. sleeping the sleep of
the weary, and probably dreaming beauti-
full visions of a land where no one works,
and where food and clothes are frequently
distributed gratis.
As they stepped down from the COM
Portable berth in which they had been
lodging, each had a plea to make or a
story to relate. One had left New York
during the 'longshoremen's strike last
winter, and was en- route to visit a rich
uncle in California. Another had money,
but preferred sleeping in the hay to paying
twenty-five cents for a bed. A Swede of
enormous stature carried two silver watches
and about $50 on his person, but didn't
propose to patronize hotels. One of the
gang attempted to escape, and when the
reporter overlook him after a short chase,
drew a knife about three feet long on that
individual and would undoubtedly have
assaulted him had he not been prevented
by the interference of an official and the
sight of a loaded revolver. After a few
pocket knives and decks of cards had been
taken from the impecunious travellers, and
their names ascertained, they were con-
signed to the loud smelling room in the
city hall. Among the noted personages
in the party were Flip Kid" Lefty"
Hand Organ jack and Banana Skin
Jake"
The nights operations were concluded
by a visit to a number of vacant houses on
East Fifteenth and Sixteenth streets.
Upon the return Of the patrol a count re-
vealed the fact that seven more midnight
providers had been secured. Among the
number was a boy 10 years of age, who
gave the name of Joe Dapita, and said he
hailed from Omaha, where his father was
a carpenter and musician. Joe had read
how Billy the Kid had played havoc
among the citizens of the West, and had
started out with an insane desire to emu
late the example set by the immortal Kid.
The men who accompanied Joe had com
PEELED him to beg for them, and had
abused him frightfully when the urchin
failed to obtain food or money on his for
aging expeditions. The boy expressed
but one desire, and that was that he be
sent home. "Of course" remarked the
diminutive specimen, I'D like to be a
cowboy and yea leather pants. That's
what Billy the Kid done. I'd sooner 90